Many higher education institutions in the US now plan to require inoculation against COVID-19 for new and returning students for the fall semester. With the vaccine now widely available, school officials believe it is the best way to ensure the safe return to in-person classes. However, the mandate may pose challenges to international students who may not have the same degree of access to US-approved vaccines as their American counterparts. University officials claim they have legal standing to enforce the mandate, but may make exceptions for students with religious or medical issues.

About 90,000 new immigrants are expected to earn permanent residency this year as Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced new programs for immigrants. These new programs can pave the way for international student graduates of Canadian educational institutions and essential workers in various sectors. Additionally, the other three streams for French-speaking immigrants will have no intake cap.

As one of the benefits of the UK-China partnership in higher education, British technical universities can support the development of China’s higher education environment. In a recent webinar, it was discussed that China has pledged vigorous efforts for high-quality development of its technical and vocational education sector, and the partnership with British institutions is expected to accelerate this. Currently, China is dealing with three major challenges in the new phase of revolutionizing technical education in the country, which when addressed with the help of the UK partnership, can dramatically change the shape of Chinese education.

Higher education in Ireland has been gearing up for a “cultural change” as the government pushes for a five-year strategy that aims to boost ‘earn and learn’ options in green skills, software, and finance. Because of this, the number of apprentices is set to double to 10,000 a year. These apprenticeships are seen to come with new roles in green skills, which include wind turbine maintenance as well as white-collar areas, including international financial services, software, and aircraft asset management.

The New South Wales government has teamed up with NSW university chancellors to come up with the International Student Accommodation Quarantine Program. The plan is to convert student accommodation in Sydney CBD into quarantine lodgings to accommodate up to 250 students every two weeks. With this initiative, NSW universities may potentially open for business by October. The launch date for the program is yet to be announced.

Strict border closures have helped New Zealand beat back the widespread incursion of COVID-19 into the country, but it has also meant a disastrous downturn in international student enrollments. Many private institutions are in imminent danger of permanent closure as student numbers continually drop. Education providers are urging the government to come up with some plan to re-invigorate the industry, including but not limited to opening its borders.

A public health network in Miami Dade County has partnered with five local universities to provide out-of-state and international students in South Florida with the opportunity to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Jackson Health System is inviting students enrolled in a partner university with no proof of residence to register online for an appointment. The partnership is seen as a way to ensure the safe return of students to campus for the fall semester.

A little over 500 applications for work permits and extensions surged as the Canadian government announced a special immigration initiative for Hong Kong residents. This move by the Canadian government is in part an offshoot of its support for the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly which Hong Kong communities have been deprived of for the past year.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) has canceled its examinations across India following a surge in COVID-19 cases. There are 185 schools in India following the IB's curriculum. Students who seek admission in schools abroad or those whose parents are mostly transferred to foreign countries, usually opt for exams under this board. According to the board, India will follow the non-examination route for the diploma program, the career-related program, and the alternative task for the middle years program. 

Applications from Singaporeans for student visas to overseas higher education destinations have fallen. According to the official British government website, the number of student visa applications from Singaporeans to Britain fell from 2,535 new applications in 2019 to 1,421 in 2020. Last year, many international students were left stranded as university accommodations in the United States and Britain closed. To address this, Singapore's universities opened up more places to take in students who would otherwise have gone overseas. For Australia, applications fell from 1,315 in 2019 to 530 last year, reflecting a 59 percent decrease.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that foreign students on F-1 visas, seeking optional practical training (OPT) can now apply for Employment Authorization online. Online applications for EAD (Form I-765) may be filed for Pre-Completion OPT; Post-Completion OPT; and 24-Month Extension of OPT for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. As USCIS continues to transition to paperless operations, the online filing allows applicants to submit forms electronically, check the status of their case anytime from anywhere, and receive notices from USCIS online instead of waiting for them in the mail.

Students from 133 countries are currently studying in Iranian universities. Fifty-seven percent of the international students are studying for a master's degree, 27 percent for a bachelor's degree and 15 percent are educated to receive a Ph.D., while the remaining one percent study at other levels. Law, Persian literature, and computer engineering are the top three fields of study for foreign students in Iran, while civil engineering, business management, political science, English language and literature, Quran and hadith sciences, international relations, and electrical engineering, and other majors with the highest number of non-Iranian students.

Based in North Vancouver in British Columbia, Capilano University or Cap U is a teaching-oriented university with a reputation for delivering high-quality education and a fulfilling learning experience. Capilano University enrolls approximately 12,700 students each year, 9,000 in for-credit programs, nearly 1,200 in non-credit courses. There are also 2,500 international students from 80 countries. The university offers undergraduate degree programs and dual degree programs.

Located in a region known for its magnificent natural beauty, with hundreds of miles of rugged Pacific coastline, evergreen forests, and deep mountainous fjords, Cap U international students certainly enjoy a one-of-a-kind study experience. For more than 50 years, CapU has been offering quality educational services to international students willing to study in Canada that enable them to succeed in their education and careers. Capilano University is wholly accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).